Manufacture of locked corner boxes



Nov, 21', 1939.

M. H. SIDEBOTHAM MANUFACTURE OF LOCKED CORNER BOXES 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 193

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' MANUFACTURE OF LOCKED CORNER BOXES Filed Aug. 13, 195'. .11 Sheet-Sheet-7 W F/gfli 29 v v Fig /5 Nov. 21. 1939. M. H. SIDEBOTHAM 2.180, 7 48 MANUFACTURE OF LOCKED CORNER BOXES Filed Aug. 15, 1937 11 sheet -sheet 8.

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M. H. SIDEBOTHAM MANUFACTURE OF LOCKED CORNER BOXES ll Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Aug. 13, 193'.

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MANUFACTURE OF LOCKED CORNER BOXES Filed Aug. 13. 193? 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 R f. RR

[/7 V60 fq)" Wyn 2 [ff Patented N 21, 1939 v UNITED STATES.

PATENT, OFFICE 2.1mm MANUFACTURED! woman comma noxas J Melvin n. S idebotham, .West Newton, Mass. Application August 1.2, 1937, Serial No. 158,918

190mm. (CI. 93-49) 3 d The present application discloses an improvement on my invention described in my application filed June '3, 1936, Serial No. 83,263, which became Letters Patent No. 2,112,121 March 22,

1938, in which is explained a method antimachine for making'boxes from out and creased blanks.

My invention relates to the manufacture 0 boxes of the class commonly known as knock- 0 down or wall boxes which are furnished to the trade in flat or collapsed condition for purposes of saving space in stock rooms and in stores where they are to be used, and also for savin transportation costs. Such boxes are opened or set-up as they are needed for use, and when set up have upright walls.

The present invention includes a novel method of producing knock-down" boxes by a. sequence of operations which makes it possible to produce printed boxes at high speed from a sheet or web of paper or from a roll of paper board.

One of the objects of my invention is to effect rapid production of. knock-down wall boxes by a sequence of operations, comprising the feeding 26 of a web of paper, creasing and cutting the web to produce a succession of blanks, printing the blanks, progressively advancing theblanks to folding and adhesive applying devices andTdischarging the box in knock-down condition ready 0 to be set up for use. Another object of my invention is to provide blank creasing and cutting mechanisms which are adaptable to quick change and adjustment to make boxes of different sizes.

portions and flaps are very difllcult to feed and handle from a stack or pile by automaticmachinery: This diiilculty is due in part to the irregular shape of the blanks, the openings and flaps providing means for catching onto. other blanks inpassing from the stack. The present .invention eliminates this trouble by uniting the blank making and blank fabricating operations to produce the box herein described.

Other morespecific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

50. which I have illustrated one-practical embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure .1 is a plan view pi 1th feeding, blank Figure 4 is a plan view of the flap folding section of the machine.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of Figure 4.

Figure 6 represents a plan view of the delivery end of the machine. 5

Figure '7 represents a front elevation of Fig'-- ure 6.

Figure 8 represents a plan view at 8-8 of Fisure 3 on a larger scale.

Figure 9 represents a partial section on line 10 9-9 of Figure 3 on a larger scale.

Figure 10 represents an enlarged sectional;

ll-40 of Figure 3.

creasing die shown in Figure 14. i

Figure 16 represents a plan view on line iO-IB 25.

of Figure 5 on a larger scale.

Figure 1''! represents a side view of blank guide 90 shown in Figures 4 and 16, Figure 18 represents a side view of blank guide 9| shown in Figures 4 and 16.

- Figure 19 represents a side view of blank guide 92, and a side view of a portion of blank guide 93 shown in Figures 4 and 16.

Figure 20 represents a partial section on line 2020 of Figure 18. 35

foldingdevises on the'blank.

a esome a .plan view of the Mame.

' after it hasbesncutand creased.

Figure 30 represents; a plan view of the blank" after it been acted upon by folding devices 59 which fold certain flap sections downward and then up against the under-aide of the blank and fold other flap sections upward and then down against the top surface of the blank. 0

Figure 31 represents a plan view of the blank;

of the box in set-up Figure 36 is a side elevation of the box after it" has been set-up.

Figure 37 is an end view of the box in set-up condition.

Figure 38 is a perspective view of the box shown in Figures 35, 36, and 37 tilted so as to show a portion of the interior thereof. I

It will aid toward an understanding of the operation of the machine and of the method of fabricating the box, to' first explain the action of the machine which effects the production of the completed printed box in knock-down condition from a; sheet, roll or web of paper board. Figure 1 shows a plan view of the feeding, blank forming and printing section of the machine. The material from which the box is made is supplied from a roll 5 (Figures 1 and 2) The paper web drawn from roll 5 is advanced through creasing rolls 8 and 3; thence the web passes to cutoff rolls I i and I2 where the web is cut to provide blanks of the required sized. The individual blanks then pass successively to the transfer table It from which the blanks are conveyed'between printing rolls ill and 22 where the printing operation is performed. From the printing rolls the blanks are carried through an ink setting oven 23 (Figures 1 and 3). The blanks then pass between creasing rolls 26 and 27. The blanks are then conveyed to the corner creasing and corner cutting mechanisms, shown in Figure 8, which completes the blank forming operation." The individual blanks are then in the condition illus-' a rear wall section 0, end wall sections d and e,

end wall extensions f, end wall extension flaps 9, front and rear wall extensions 2', front and rear wall extension 'fiaps h.

Figure-30 illustrates the condition of the blank after it has been acted upon by flap folding devices which fold flaps h upward and then down against the top of the front and rear wall extensions. Flap folding devices also fold flaps g downward and then up against the bottom of the end wall extensions. The blank is then acted upon by devices which deposit adhesiveto areas marked a: (Fig. 31). Devices then fold the blank along lines k, m and q with the result that folded flaps I; will contact the adhesively treated areas frames I and 2.

, after adhesive has been applied to areas of the the result that the front and rear wall extensions 1' will snap outward against the inside surface of the end walls and the end wall extensions I will unfold against the outside surface of the front and rear walls.

' Referring to Figures 1, 4 and 6, these three figures, taken together, indicate a plan view of the entire machine. The right hand portion of Figure 1 duplicates parts shown at the left hand end of Figure 4 to render clear the relation of the parts of the machine shown in these two figures; and the right hand portion of Figure 4 duplicates parts shown in the upper left hand portion of Figure 6 to render it clear that these two parts of the machine operate at an angle to each other. In said Figures 1, 4 and 6 some of the positions of the blanks are indicated by dotted lines where the dotted numerals 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 appear. Those dotted numerals are employed because at those points of the machine the blanks are in substantially the conditionshown by Figures 29 to 34 inclusive. In other words, each blank at position 29 (Fig. 1) is as shown in Figure 29; when it reaches position 30 it'is substantially as shown by Figure 30; and so on until when it reaches position 34 (Fig. 6) it is substantially as shown by Figure 34. The timing is such that when the machine is in operation different parts of the machine are operating simultaneously on blanks which are spaced about as indicated by the dotted line indications of the blank in Figures 1, 4 and 6. In other words, while one part of the machine is performing an operation on one blank other parts of the machine are at the same time performing other operations on other blanks, all of said blanks following one another progressively through the machine and are delivered therefrom as complete boxes in collapsed condition as shown in Figure 34.

It will be readily understood, without need of illustration, that any suitable motor may be employed for operating the machine, and that suitable gearing is employed in practice to cause the various rolls and shafts to rotate at uniform peripheral speed to feed the web and cut the blanks therefrom, and to effect travel of the blanks through the machine and to operate the various devices which act on the blanks in the sequence described.

The frame of the machine consists of side frames I and 2 and-crossbars 3, and 4 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and '7), suitable bearings are provided in said sideframes for attaching the different mechanisms to the frame. 1

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the material from which the boxesaremade is supplied from a roll 5 mounted on shaft 6 journaled in sideframes I and 2. The paper web drawn from supply roll 5 is advanced over guide roll I journaled in side- The web then passes between creasing rolls 8 and 9 journaled in sideframes I and 2. Creasing knives I0, adjustably mounted on creasing roll 9, operate to provide crease lines on the web as it is drawn between said rolls 8 and 9. The web is then advanced to pass between rolls I I and I2, journaled in sideframes I and 2, where the web is severed by knife I3, secured to roll I 2, to provide a succession of individual blanks of the required dimensiona The individual blanks then pass singly and successively to transfer table II. Guide bars I5 secured to sideframes I serve to hold the blanks in position against conveyor belts I6 driven by roll I'I mounted on shaft I8 journaled in sideframe I. The other ends of the conveyor belts [6 are supported by roll I9 secured to shaft journaled in sideframes and 2.

The blanks are then advanced, by means of conveyor belts I6, to pass between printing rolls 2| and 22 journaled in sideframes I and 2. The printing mechanism may be of any desired type and need not be here described. From the printing operation the blanks are advanced to the ink setting oven 23 where the printing matter is quickly set or dried by the application of heat. The blanks are then carried, by conveyor belts I6, between guide rolls 24 and 25 journaled in sideframes and 2. The blanks then pass between creasing rolls 26 and 21 journaled in sideframes I and 2. Creasing knives 28, adjustably mounted on creasing roll 21, operate to provide creased lines on the individual blanks as they pass between said creasing rolls 26 and 21.

The blanks are then advanced singly and successively to corner cutting and corner creasing devices which operate to complete the box blank to the condition illustrated by Figure 29. Referring to Figures 1, 3 and 8 through 15 incl'usive, the corner cutting and corner creasing unit is composed of four assemblies, one assembly for each corner of the box blank. Each corner of the blank is cut and creased by reciprocally operated dies 29, provided with creasing .edges 30 and cutting edges 3|. The said dies129 are clamped to die heads 32 by means of clamps 33 and screws 34. Secured to said die heads 32 by means of bolts 35 are guide blocks 36. Removable platens 32a and removable brackets 44a and 45a serve to operatively secure the die heads 32 to the corresponding yoke (44 or 45) or carriage or 4|). The die heads 32. are operated up. and down by means of operating links 31 the'upper ends of which are mounted on bolts 35 and the lower ends mounted on eccentric rolls 38. The two eccentric rolls which operate at the rear corners of the blank are secured to stub shafts 39 journaled in carriages 40 and 4| slidably mounted on shafts 42 and 43 supported by yokes 44 and 45 slidably mounted on shafts 46 and 41 secured to sideframes and 2. Collars 84 are provided to retain shaft 46 in position. Said stub shafts 39 are provided with washers 48 to retain the operating links 31 in .position. Stub shafts 39 are caused to rotate by means of gears 49 meshing with gears 50 slidably but not rotatably mounted on shafts 42. Secured to said shafts 42 are gears 5| which mesh with gears 52 slidably but not rotatably mounted on shaft 41. Said shaft 41 is caused to rotate by means of pul-. ley 53 secured thereto, power being supplied to said pulley by any desired means not necessary to describe. Spacer sleeves trol the lateral positions of the corner creasing and cutting devices, is regulated by crank 56 secured to shaft 51. Right hand threads 58 are provided on one end of said shaft 51 and left hand threads 59 are provided on the opposite end of said shaft. It will be apparent that with corvtatahly mounted in yoke 44.

54 and washers 48v and collars are provided on shaft 41 to re- 62 secured to shaft 63 supported by sideframe 2. Secured to the opposite end of said shaft 83 is a gear 64 which meshes with gear 65 secured to shaft 66. Spacer 61 and collar 81a are provided on shaft 63 to maintain gears 82 and 64 in position. Said shaft 66 is provided at one end with right hand threads 61 and at the other end with left hand threads 68. Corresponding female threads are provided in the adjacent por tions of yokes 44 and 45. A spacer 69 and a collar 10 are provided on said shaft 66 to retain the shaft in position. v

The adjustment of carriages 40 and 4|, which control the longitudinal positions of the rear comer creasing and cutting devices, is regulated by crank 1| secured to shaft 12. Slidably but not rotatably mounted on said shaft 12 are gears 13 and 14 which mesh with corresponding gears 15 and 16. A collar 11 is provided on shaft 12 to retain said shaft in position. Said gear "15 is secured to one end of shaft 18 which is ro- Said shaft 118 is provided at its outer end with a screw thread 19. It is apparent that with a corresponding female thread in the adjacent portion of carriage 40 the shaft 18 in rotating will cause'the carriage to move along the axis of said shaft according to the direction of rotation of shaft 18. Gear 16 is secured to one end of sha'ft80 which is rotatably mounted in yoke 45. Said shaft 80 is provided at its outer end with a screw thread 8|. With a corresponding female thread in the adjacent portion of carriage 4| the shaft 80 in rotating will cause the said carriage 4| to respectively in position.

Thus the operation of crank 56 controls the transverse positioning of the corner creasing and cutting dies, and crank 1| operates to control the longitudinal positioning of said dies.

The completed blanks then pass under guide roll 85 journaled in sideframes I and 2 to aconveyor belt 86 carried by rolls 81, 88 and 89 jour naled in sideframes and 2 (Figs. 1, 4, 5 and '6). The blanks are advanced by conveyor belt 86 to guide. bars 90, 9|, 92 and 93 (Figs. 16, 17', 18 and 19) supported byarms 94, 95, 96. and 91. When the blank reaches the positionindicated by the dotted outline of the blank and marked by dotted numeral 30 in Figures 4 and i6 the blank is operated on by devices which fold the extension flaps g and h to the condition illustrated by Figure 30. The flap folding mechanism 'ings I06. The operating shaft I01 on each flap folding unit (Figs. 20 and 22) is driven by gear I0| fixed thereon. Sprocket H0 fixed on said shaft I01 drives shaft I08 by'means 'of chain I09 and sprocket III. Fixed on said shaft I08 of each forward folding unit, is a flap folding segment III and a cam H2. Operating shaft I01 has fixed thereon a flap folding segment H3 and a cam H4. The flap folding guide segment H5 is supported by, but not fixed to, said shaft I01. Said guide segment H5 is driven from flap folding segment H3 by means of pin H6 in segment H3. Saidpin H6 extends into slot H1 of Segment II 5: The relation of said SEE-1' ments I I3 and H5 is governed by the said slot H1 and spring II 8 suspended between said pin H6 and pin H9 which is fixed in guide segment H5. to engage lever I2I pivoted on pin I22 supported bycasing I06. Spring I23 serves to resist pivoting of lever I2 I. The lower-flap bending finger I24 (Figs. 20 and 21), guided by links I25, is caused to operate up and down at predetermined intervals by connecting links I26 to which is attached canLfollower I21 and links I28. Spring I29 has one end connected to links I28 and the other to casing I06. finger I30, guided by links I3I, is caused to operate up and down at predetermined intervals by connecting links I32 to which is attached cam follower I33 and links I34. Spring I35 has one end connected to links I34 and the other end to casing I06.

Figures 23, 24 and 25 illustrate-the operation of the flap folding segments III and H3 and also the action of flap guide segment I I5. The arrows indicate the direction of rotation. Figures 26, 27 and 28 are plan views of a corner of the blank shown in Figu es 23, 24 and 25. respectively. The arrows indlc t the direction of travel of the blanks.

The four flap folding units are similar to each other except that the two units which act on the rear corners of the blank are assembled so that the folding mechanisms (Figs. 20 and 22) on shafts I01 and I08 are reversed, with the result that the mechanism on shaft I01 of Figures 20 and 22 will operate on the top of the blank to fold flap sections h at the rear corners of the blank, and the folding mechanism shown on shaft I08 will operate on the under side of the blank to fold flap sections g at the rear corners of the blank.

The blank is advanced from the flap folding devices by conveyor belt 86 which is provided with lugs I36 (Fig. 1) which at timedintervals arrive atthe rearedge of the blanks to propel them forward. In the progress of the blank forward it passes between pressing rolls I31 journaled in sideframes I and 2. While the blank is being conveyed forward adhesive is applied thereon to predetermined areas (marked a: in Fig. 31) by pads I38 fastened to wheels I38 fixed to shaft I40 journaled in sideframes I and 2. Adhesive is applied to said pads I38 by contacting adhesively coated roll I4I journaled in sideframes I and 2. Said roll MI is coated with adhesive by causing it to rotate in liquid adhesive contained in reservoir I42 supported by sideframes I and 2. The blank is then carried forward to folding devices which fold the blank on lines k, m and q (Fig. 29) which results in the blank taking the form illustrated by Figure 32. Said folding devices consist of guides I43 supported by arms sideframe I to transfer table I52 supported by Pin I20 on guide segment 'H5 is placed The upper flap bending sideframe I. From said transfer table I52 the blank is carried forward by conveyor belt I53 propelled by roll I54 mounted on shaft I55 journaled in sideframe I. The forward end of said conveyor belt I53 is supported by roll I56 journaled in sideframes I and 2. The blank then passes between rolls I51 and I58 journaled in sideframes I and 2, and thence to adhesive applying devices. Adhesive is applied to predetermined areas (marked 11 in Fig. 33) by pads I59 fastened to wheels I60 fixed to shaft I6I journaled in sideframes I and 2. Adhesive is applied to said pads I59 by contacting adhesively coated roll I62 journaled in sideframes I and 2. Said roll I62 is coated with adhesive by causing it to rotate in liquid adhesive contained in reservoir I63 supported bysideframes I and 2. The blank is then advanced to folding devices which fold the blank on lines n, t and 2) (Fig. 33) which results in the completion of the box in flat condition shown by Fig. 34. Said folding devices consist of guides I64 supported by arms I65 fastened to sideframes I and 2 and folding belts I66 carried by pulleys I61 mounted on shafts I68 and I69 journaled in sideframes I and 2. The blank is then carried under pressing rolls I10 journaled in sideframes I and 2, thence to the delivery belt I1I carried by rolls I12 journaled in sideframes I and 2. Y

The roll 5 whichsupplies the blank material is arranged so that the axis of saidroll is parallel with the direction of travel of theblanks through the printing, corner cutting and creasing, and flap folding units. The reason for so arranging said roll is that the grain of paper or paper board almost invariably runs lengthwise of the material as it is drawn from the roll. It is usually desirable to have the grain of the paper board run crosswise of the box, therefore to get this result the said roll 5 is arranged as shown.

It will not depart from the spirit of my invention to feed uncut, unscored rectangular shaped blanks of the required size to the machine, for blank formation and box fabrication, instead supplying the blank material from a roll.

While the invention includes the combined instrumentalities above mentioned, I wish it to be understood that I consider the aforesaid means not only combinatively novel, but insofar as I am aware, certain of the devices going to make up such means are new in less combinations than the whole and some capable of individual use, as will more clearly appear hereinafter.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of making folding paper boxes from a web, comprising, causing the web to travel, creasing the web, cutting the web to produce a box blank of predetermined size, printing the blank, heat setting'the printing ink, creasing the blank at right angles to the previously applied creases, creasing and cutting the corner areas of the blank to complete a box blank provided with a each end of the said front and rear wall sections and extension sections projecting from each end of the said end wall section eachof said extension sections being intersected by a creased line radiating substantially from the apex of the corner of the bottom section to form a flap at the outer end 'of each extension section; folding the flaps at the ends of the front and rear wall extension sections upward and then down against the top of said extension sections, folding the flaps at the ends of the end wall extension sec-- tions downward and then up against the under side of said extension sections, applying adhesive to predetermined areas of the end wall sections, folding the front and rear wall sections and their extension sections and the extension sections at v the ends of the end wall sections upward and then down upon the bottom section and the end wall sections, applying adhesive to predetermined areas on the upward facing surface of front and rear wall sections, folding the end wall sections and the extension sections thereon and the ex-' tension sections at the ends of the front and rear wall sections upward and then down upon the ends of the front and rear wall sections.

2. The method of making collapsed paper boxes from a web by a sequence of operations-consisting of causing the web to travel; cutting and creasing the web to provide complete paper box blanks having a bottom sction,.front and rear wall sections and end wall sections extending from said bottom sections, extension sections 'projecting from each end of the said front and rear wall sections and-extension sections projecting the top .of said extension sections, folding the flaps at the ends of the end wall extension sections downward and then up against the under side of said extension sections, applying adhesive to predetermined areas of the v end wall sections, folding the front and rear wall sections and their extension sections and the extension sections at the ends of the end wall sections upward and then down upon the bottom section and the endwall sectionaapplying adhesive to predetermined areas on the upward facing surface of front and rear wall sections, folding the end wall sections and the extension sections thereon and the extension sections at the ends of the front and rear v wall sections upward and. then down upon the ends ofthe front and rear wall sections.

3. The method of making collapsed paper boxes from a web by a sequence of operations consisting of causing the web to travel; creasing and cutting the. web to provide individual cutfand creased blanks; folding some corner flaps of the blank against the upper surface of the blank and folding other corner flaps of the blank against the under surface of the blank, applying adhesive I to predetermined areas of the blank, and folding marginal portions of the blank so that the folded ing; creasing. and cuttingftbc web to provide 5. The method of making collapsed paper boxes by a sequence of operations comprising; creasing 'and, cutting a section of paper to provide box blanks having the required box elements; folding some corner flaps of the blank against the upper surface of the blank and folding other corner flaps againstthe under surface of the blank; folding the marginal portions and securing the foldedflaps to the proximate surfaces of the wall portions of the blank, substantially as described.

6. The method of making collapsed paper boxes by a sequence of operations consisting of causing paper blanks to travel; creasing 'and cutting each blank to provide the necessary box'ele-, merits; folding some corner flaps of the blank against the upper surface of the blank and folding other corner flaps of the blank against the 'under surface of the blank, applying adhesive tally adjustable corner creasing and cutting dies secured to a reciprocatory die head, to provide individual box blanks; means for doubling portions of the comer sections of the blank consisting of mechanism for folding some of said portions upward and other portions downward,

devices for folding front and rear wall' marginsof the blank toward each other, and means for folding the ends of the partly formed box toward each other, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for making folded wall boxes the combination of web creasing rolls, a web severing device, blank printing means, horizontally adjustable, reciprocatory mounted, blank .corner' creasing and cutting mechanism, and foldblank carrying means, an adhesive applying mechanism, adjustable'flap folding devices, and

wall folding devices, all substantially as described.

10. In a machine for making folded wall boxes by a sequence of operations comprising; means for causing a paper blank to travel;- horizontally adjustable cutting and creasing dies secured to vertically operating die heads; means for doubling certain sections of the blank, and folders for folding opposite margins toward each other.

MELVIN H.- SID 

